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Man wins lawsuit against internet provider, says ISP provided months of bad service

A small claims court found an internet service provider's "clickwrap" agreement "unenforceable," report says.
modum, router, ISP, internet
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A Colorado man says after 15 months of unreliable internet service from from his internet service provider (ISP), he decided to take the company to court, and he won.

Jack Turner signed up for service with Spectrum and after months of trouble he said he asked for compensation and was told he was only entitled to a refund for one month, according to a report from the Durango Herald.

Turner, who is campaigning for a seat as Colorado's La Plata County commissioner, said after moving into a new home in 2021 he signed up for internet service with the provider but spent months trying to troubleshoot his spotty internet issues with the ISP, even buying an expensive router to replace the one he was renting from Spectrum.

When he was told he would only be entitled to a refund for one month of service he gathered his documentation and filed a complaint with a small claims court.

Turner told a court that even after changing his equipment and meeting multiple technicians to try and improve his service he experienced "no noticeable improvement."

The judge in the case focused on the "clickwrap" agreement Turner committed to with Spectrum. These are the agreements where customers will check a box, or click into it, to agree to terms of service online while signing up.

The judge said the agreement was not enforceable and therefore Spectrum owned Turner $814.85 for the 15 months of unsatisfactory service, plus the $74 he paid to file the case in court.

Spectrum's parent company, Charter Communications Operating LLC, didn't immediately release a statement on the case. Turner believes the company will appeal the ruling.

Turner told the Durango Herald, "I’m kind of wondering what is going to happen. I honestly have no idea where this goes from here.”